The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Rubanda, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | TA lightning strike claimed the lives of two children in Rubanda district on Friday. Treasure Arinda, a 13-year-old son of Vincent Wednesday and a primary five pupil at Kacherere Primary School, and Elia Mwebesa, also 13 years old and son of Patrick Barigigye, residents of Kilwa village, Kiruruma ward, Kacherere town council, were fatally struck on Friday evening while collecting firewood near their homes during a heavy downpour in Kigezi.
Ernest Rwamirengye, the Kilwa village LC1 Vice Chairman, recounted the unfortunate circumstances surrounding the deaths of Arinda and Mwebesa during the intense rainfall. David Bitakaramire, the grandfather of the children, expressed shock and a desire for the government to investigate why Kigezi experiences frequent lightning incidents. He called for necessary advisory measures to mitigate this recurring issue.
Elly Maate, the Kigezi Regional police spokesperson, confirmed the incident. He mentioned that the police conducted postmortems and handed over the bodies to their relatives for funeral arrangements. The Kigezi region has a history of lightning-related fatalities. In March 2023, Ambrose Kanunu, 35, and his sons Justus Asiimwe, 7, and Arnold Habomugisha, 5, from Rwamuyora village, Nyarurambu parish, Muko sub-county in the same district, met a similar fate.
Other incidents in December 2022, September 2021, and earlier in April 2018, in various villages within Rubanda and Kanungu districts resulted in fatalities caused by lightning strikes, highlighting the recurring nature of this issue in the region.
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